Who’s Chukwuma Frank Ibezim?

By Michael Ogar

Sir Frank Ibezim was born on December 16, 1964, into the household of Sir Hezekiah and Girl Priscilla Ibezim of Ezeoke Nsu, Ehime Mbano Native Authorities Space of Imo State, Nigeria. He attended St. Stephens Major college Umuahia. He obtained his WAEC certificates from Uboma Secondary Faculty in 1980. Thereafter, he attended the Imo State College the place he obtained a Bachelor’s Diploma in Industrial Chemistry in 1987.

Ibezim accomplished his obligatory one yr service beneath the Nationwide Youth Service Corps, NYSC in 1989 with Nigerian Bottling Firm (Coca Cola) Port Harcourt.

CAREER

Ibezim has held high public service positions at each the state and Federal Authorities ranges, together with serving because the Commissioner for Agriculture and Pure Assets, Imo State (2014 – 2015). He was additionally the Particular Adviser (Political) to Minister of State for Schooling (2015 – 2019); Board Member, Governing Council, Federal Faculty of Schooling, Gombe; Member of the Federal Authorities Committee on Evaluation of Wants of Unity Colleges in addition to one-time Managing Director, Imo Poultry Restricted the place he was credited with revamping the moribund Avutu Poultry, the biggest poultry in Sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, he has diversified worldwide work experiences, as a Fleet Supervisor, Auto Nation, Houston, Texas, USA, and a Case Supervisor, Youth Co-op, a non-profit organisation primarily based in Miami, Florida, working with the US authorities on youth reintegration programmes designed to rehabilitate, re-skill and prepare youths with particular challenges and desires.

POLITICAL LIFE

Sir Frank is a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling occasion in Nigeria. He was a kind of liable for the grassroots motion that entrenched the occasion in Imo State, and extra particularly the Okigwe Zone the place he hails from. He served because the Director-Normal of the Buhari Marketing campaign Organisation, Imo State, beneath the Congress for Progressive Change through the 2007 presidential marketing campaign. Previous to this, Ibezim had additionally unsuccessfully aspired through the 2010/2011 political campaigns to symbolize the Okigwe South Federal Constituency within the Home of Representatives. He was in some unspecified time in the future the Director, Contacts and Mobilisation of the All Nigeria Peoples Get together (ANPP).

Following the unlucky dying of Benjamin Uwajumogu, the senator representing Imo North within the Nationwide Meeting, Sir Frank Ibezim confirmed curiosity amongst different contestants to fill the emptiness and symbolize the folks of Okigwe Zone within the Ninth Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Ibezim pledged to offer efficient illustration by sacrificial service and persevering with within the best traditions of noble management in pursuit of excellence. He had primarily based his ambition on the three Cs – Competence, Compassion, and continuity. He recognized youth empowerment, unparalleled agrarian and industrial revolution because the cardinal thrusts of his illustration.

The competition for the senatorial seat was bitter and fractious and, in truth, nearly eclipsed his political profession on account of a contrived perjury cost. [FILL IN DETAILS OF THE COURT CASES]. Not solely did he surmount the trumped-up allegations but in addition triumphed in different courtroom circumstances difficult his victory. In the long run, Ibezim had a report of 28 authorized circumstances earlier than his final victory and issuance of the certificates of return. He at present represents Imo North within the hallowed chamber of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Ibezim is the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade in addition to a member of the Senate Committees on Fundamental Schooling,… To showcase his love for foundational schooling, he initiated and launched the Classroom Library Undertaking, a scheme to revive studying tradition amongst schoolchildren within the nation, utilizing at the very least 18 main faculties in Imo North as a pilot and the scheme has since been replicated nationwide. He has additionally motivated lecturers by money awards to elicit their dedication and keenness in direction of this undertaking.

The senator has additionally ensured that tons of of his constituents benefitted from varied main authorities fund interventions. He has facilitated job placements for a number of individuals from Imo North in Federal Authorities institutions, even starting from his six constituency places of work within the six LGAs of the zone the place many ladies and youths have obtained coaching in numerous entrepreneurial areas.

Senator Frank’s first movement was the development of the Okigwe Energy Transmission Sub Station. He additionally facilitated the development of a solar energy plant for Ehime Mbano and Ihitte Uboma native authorities areas whereas one other one for Okigwe North can be on the best way.

A neighborhood chief par excellence, Sir Ibezim has actively participated in quite a few neighborhood/church improvement tasks together with the development of neighborhood roads, the non-public sponsorship and set up of avenue lightings in his neighborhood, and the constructing of the multi-million Naira Bishopric Chapel of the St. Paul Church, Ezeoke Nsu, the headquarters of the Okigwe South Anglican Diocese, amongst different assist to church progress within the space. In appreciation of his philanthropic and godly actions, the church conferred on him the knight of St. Christopher.

PERJURY ALLEGATION

Sir Ibezim had a bitter style of the saying that politics is a unclean sport. His political opponents accused him of certificates forgery and impersonation.

Hassle began after Ibezim beat different contestants to emerge the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate within the contentious Imo North Senatorial by-election, opponents accused him of forging his West African Faculty Certificates. Their contrivance was primarily based on the variation in his identify. Consequently, the Federal Excessive Courtroom, Abuja, disqualified Ibezim and requested the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) to exchange his identify with Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, his closest rival, a call the Courtroom of Enchantment later reversed.

Nevertheless, on the eve of the election, an Abuja Excessive Courtroom judgment adopted a swimsuit filed in opposition to Ibezim by Asomugha Elebeke. The trial choose, Justice Inyang Ekwo, had within the judgment delivered on December 4, 2020, barely 24 hours to the by-election, disqualified Ibezim for allegedly making false statements/declarations within the affidavit and paperwork he tendered to each the APC and INEC.

The courtroom held that Ibezim was disqualified for submitting uncertified photocopies of his West African Faculty Certificates (WASC), which bore totally different names: Ibezim Chukwuma Frank and Ibezim Francis Chukwuma.

Nevertheless, Ibezim contended that identify variation shouldn’t be sufficient motive to disqualify him. He argued that in disqualifying him primarily based on an allegation of certificates forgery, the petitioner neither invited Uboma Secondary Faculty, Ikperejere, Etiti in Imo State, nor the West African Examination Council (WAEC) as witnesses within the swimsuit to disclaim or affirm the veracity of the certificates he offered.

On the difficulty of variously utilizing Frank and Francis, Ibezim stated his {photograph} would have been sufficient proof that the outcomes had been his and that his opponent couldn’t contest that with out counting on a technicality.

He additionally questioned the courtroom’s putting the burden on him to show his innocence, as an alternative of his accusers to show their allegations in opposition to him, as is commonplace in issues of this nature.

The Supreme Courtroom laid all disputes to relaxation when in a unanimous determination on April 17, 2021, it affirmed that Ibezim was the genuine candidate of the APC within the bye-election. It voided, nullified and put aside the concurrent judgments of the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja and that of the Courtroom of Enchantment, which nullified the candidacy of Ibezim on the bottom of perjury.

Therefore, Sir Frank Ibezim was sworn in because the senator representing Imo North Senatorial District on April 27, 2021, after three months of authorized fireworks with Ifeanyi Ararume additionally of the APC and Chief Emmanuel Okewulonu, one other contender for the seat on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Get together, PDP.